Kuwaiti columnist urges kindness to domestic workers

Writer says that when Filipinos arrive in Kuwait, they have the right to be respected and welcomed

The Philippine government’s ban on deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait has raised concerns in that Middle Eastern country about the maltreatment and abuse that some maids suffer from their employers.

In a commentary published by Kuwait Times, columnist Talal Al-Ghannam called on employers to be kind to their domestic workers in the name of peace, harmony and justice in the country.

Al-Ghannam said that when Filipinos arrive in Kuwait, they have the right to be respected and welcomed because the Philippine government allowed them to work in the country.He said the Philippines had the right to ban deployment of its workers not only to Kuwait, but to other countries as well.

He said many domestic workers who suffer maltreatment from their employers are not paid on time, have deducted salaries, and are not provided a mobile phone. Many also have their passports confiscated.

Domestic workers have the right to file a complaint if they suffer abuse or maltreatment from their employers, but many of them choose to stay silent in fear of what their employers would do to them, Al-Ghannam said.

He said contracts between employers and domestic workers must be honored and any party that breaches a contract must bear responsibility for doing so.